Art Weekly Dispatch: Floral Passion and Conceptual Wonders
This week in the art world brings a vibrant mix of exhibitions, from expertly curated flower paintings to surreal photography and groundbreaking conceptual works. Highlights include a show exploring floral artistry across centuries, garage-rock star Billy Childish's expressionistic desert scenes, and a thought-provoking piece using a simple supermarket receipt.
Exhibition of the Week: Handpicked: Painting Flowers from 1900 to Today
At Kettle's Yard in Cambridge, Handpicked: Painting Flowers from 1900 to Today runs from 25 April to 6 September. Inspired by founders Jim and Helen Ede's dedication to fresh cut flowers alongside art, this exhibition showcases artists who share a floral passion. It features works from Henri Rousseau to Lubaina Himid, offering a historical perspective on botanical artistry in painting.
Other Notable Shows
- Billy Childish: This Is The Universe... Big Isn't It? – Garage-rock superstar Billy Childish presents hazy, expressionistic paintings of the California desert at Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate from 26 April to 14 June.
- Katharina Grosse: I Set Out, I Walked Fast – Known for giant, building-sized paintings, Grosse returns with enormous site-specific interventions and smaller works at White Cube Bermondsey in London from 22 April to 31 May.
- Les Krims: Fictcryptokrimsographs – This exhibition features ultra-weird, super-surreal staged Polaroids from the mid-1970s that challenge photographic truth, on display at Graces Mews in London until 23 May.
- Racheal Crowther: Liquid Trust – A scent-based installation art debut exploring bodies and the military-industrial complex at Chisenhale Gallery in London until 14 June.
Image of the Week: Steve McQueen's Bounty
Oscar-winning film-maker and Turner prize-winning artist Steve McQueen photographed the flora of Grenada in 2024, revealing markers of historical trauma and colonial pain. In his new book Bounty, he describes the flowers as constant witnesses of turmoil and upheaval, highlighting the perversity of beauty in places of horror.
What We Learned This Week
- Someone in Paris won a Picasso in a raffle.
- A Bridget Jones statue in Leicester Square has been made permanent.
- The new V&A East collection dazzles with impressive architecture.
- An exhibition at Compton Verney showcases Elizabeth Allen's incredible needlework.
- Abidjan's art week indicates a flourishing art scene in Côte d'Ivoire.
- A celebrated art historian spent 46 years sitting for Frank Auerbach.
- The gay art of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek was groundbreaking.
- 93-year-old artist Joan Semmel aimed for shamelessness in her work.
Masterpiece of the Week: Ceal Floyer's Monochrome Till Receipt
In 1999, British conceptualist Ceal Floyer created Monochrome Till Receipt (White), a brilliant idea that paints a mental picture without traditional art tools. By listing white items from a Morrisons receipt, such as flour and eggs, the artwork conjures images in the viewer's mind, telling a story of its creation in Camden, London. This piece, part of the Tate Collection and on loan in Tokyo, demonstrates how a simple concept can evoke a whole world.
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